Ronda, Marbella, Mijaz & Fuengirola

Quite a mouthful, some of these Spanish names!

We left Seville at 8.00 am and travelled to Ronda, where we spent about 1.5 hours, then on to the Costa del Sol (Sunny Coast!).   From Seville we had taken a more mountainous route to get to the coast and that whole drive is World Heritage listed by UNESCO, including the little white villages tucked into the folds of the hills.  Ronda was a place I definitely wanted to see and I wasn't disappointed.  The town is cut in half by a really deep gorge, so the photos are amazing. 

On to the Coast!  The Guide obviously wanted to give us a complete picture of this area, because she took us to the Port of Marbella, the little white village of Mijaz, in the hills, then we stayed at Fuengirola, right on the Mediterranean.  Marbella is where Sean Connery, Julio Iglesias and other famous people live, though I didn't see any of them, just a few Russian Mafia types.  I did see a Ferrari, a Lambourghini, several different sized Mercedes & BMWs and many € worth of ocean going craft, right there while I sat and had my lunch!

The drive to Mijaz was certainly the scenic route on the forward journey.  I'm glad it wasn't me driving!  It was like the hairpin bends and narrow roads going to somewhere like Springbrook, times 10, with oncoming traffic!  What a pretty place!  It´s a shame you have to walk past a line (150 metres!) of donkey taxis, to get where you are going.  They are a gimmick for kids, but my God, THEY STINK!!!!  This is a really old, traditional town, once you get past the tourist stuff.  I loved the Bull Ring, with statues of matadors out the front and a statue of El Toro at the back.  It's hilly like a lot of Italian towns, so the legs got a workout.  There is alos a grotto where Our Lady is supposed to have appeared to some children, so that's quite elaborate.

On, down a much more reasonable road, to the beach.   It was lovely to watch the water and breathe the salt air.  That´s where I found an internet cafe which would read my camera card and so I could sent you the previous pictures.

Next, Granada.